Removable Fluidic Seal Assembly for Replaceable Tube Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In chromatography systems, the integral sealing components of fluidic tubes are often damaged, leading to the unnecessary replacement of entire tubes, as the sealing components are not removable, resulting in significant waste of functional tubing.
Innovation Solution
A removable seal device for fluidic coupling is introduced, featuring a seal body with sealing surfaces that can be secured to both the fluidic tube and a compression screw, allowing for the seal to be detached and replaced without removing the entire tube, utilizing a metallic support sleeve and conical/cylindrical portions for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an integral sealing component is formed on the fluidic tube, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the tube must be replaced when the seal fails, causing material waste
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing component is separated from the fluidic tube, allowing the seal to be replaced independently without discarding the entire tube. The seal device is configured to be removably attached to the tube, enabling modular replacement of only the sealing element when it fails.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the entire fluidic tube when the seal fails, only the sealing component is discarded and replaced. The functional tube is retained and reused, significantly reducing material waste while maintaining sealing reliability.
2Strength
If the sealing component is integrally formed on the tube, then the structural integrity is improved, but the complexity of repair increases as the entire tube must be replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The seal device is designed as a separate component that can be independently replaced. The seal body with sealing surfaces is removably attached to the fluidic tube, allowing repair technicians to replace only the sealing component rather than the entire tube assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is extracted from the fluidic tube as a separate removable component. This allows the seal to be taken out and replaced independently, simplifying the repair process while maintaining the structural integrity of the tube itself.
3Ease of repair
If a removable seal device is used, then the ease of repair is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The seal device incorporates dynamic elements including threaded engagement features that allow for adjustable and reversible attachment. The compression screw and threaded bore provide a mechanism for secure yet removable attachment, balancing complexity with ease of repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal device acts as an intermediary component between the fluidic tube and the fitting. It includes engagement features that interface with both the tube (via threaded bore or recess) and the fitting sealing surface, facilitating easy replacement while managing the complexity through standardized interfacing.
Data Source
AI summary
A removable seal device for fluidic coupling includes a seal body extending between a first end and a second end, the seal body including an inner channel configured to receive a flow of a fluid. The first end of the seal body includes a first sealing surface configured to create a first seal with a fitting sealing surface of a receiver fitting, and the seal body includes a second sealing surface configured to create a second seal with an end of a fluidic tube. The removable seal is configured to be removably secured to at least one of the fluidic tube, a support feature fixed to the fluidic tube, and a compression screw, such that untightening of the compression screw from the receiver fitting causes the removable seal device to be removed from the receiver fitting.